Official Kawasaki Racing Team to be presented in Barcelona

Tomorrow is the day for the official presentation of the 2013 Kawasaki Racing Team in FIM World Superbike.

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/5-sbk-news/16032-official-kawasaki-racing-team-to-be-presented-in-barcelona.html

Riders Discount, Triumph and Joey Pascarella join forces to contest the 2013 AMA Daytona Sportbike Championship

This story comes from the Posterous page for the Rider's Discount Race Team.  Check out the whole story via this link.

http://riders-discount-raceteam.posterous.com/riders-discount-triumph-and-joey-pascarella-j

Ben Spies

As the 2013 MotoGP season looms, Ben Spies will surely be looking for a fresh start after a miserable 2012 season on the factory Yamaha.  He has switched to one of the Ducati teams for the upcoming season, and aims to become competitive again.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-pivotal-year-ben-spies/

World Superbike 2013 calendar change

So, the 2013 FIM World Superbike season is going to start in less than a month.  But, one of the races has been moved from the second round, to the last round.  The race in India at the Buddh International Circuit will become the season finale on November 17th, after it was realized that marshals and medical crews at the track, will need more training.  Here's the full story, with the updated calendar.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/910/15312/Motorcycle-Article/2013-WorldSBK-Calendar-Changes-Continue.aspx

motorcycle news bits & pieces

Firstly, the testing schedule for MotoGP, before the 2013 campaign begins in earnest.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-preseason-test-slate/

New riders will compete for the EBR team (Eric Buell Racing) in 2013.  Cory West, and Dustin Dominguez.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-west-and-dominguez-on-rsracecraft-ebrs-in-13/

Also, there is a bevy of news from FIM World Superbike.  Leon Camier has a successful test session, but then has to undergo surgery.  There's news of Aprilia's test session at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit (discussed in an interview with riders Sylvain Guintoli and Eugene Laverty).  Plus, Johnny Rea and Leon Haslam run into some troubles during their testing for PATA Honda at Jerez.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/wsbk/

1991 500cc Grand Prix race at Suzuka, final lap

Here's a wild finish.  Throw the time machine back to 1991 and the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka to see a sweet duel between at least four riders including Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, and John Kocinski.  This is good stuff!

AMA SBK: Young And Restless

With the announcement (just posted here), of Martin Cardenas' arrival at Yoshimura Suzuki, hopefully that does not leave their former rider, Blake Young, out in the cold.  He too, is very talented.  Here's a story about what may lie ahead, or rather, some scenarios of where he could be this year and in the future.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-young-and-restless/P1

AMA SBK: Cardenas To Yoshimura

Martin Cardenas is set to ride for the well known Yoshimura Suzuki team in AMA Superbike this year, replacing Blake Young.  Here's the story.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-cardenas-officially-confirmed-at-yoshimura

WSBK: Weather Dampens Opening Day At Jerez

From SPEED, a brief report on the opening day of World Superbike testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain, which was, to say the least, wet.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/wsbk-weather-dampens-opening-day-at-jerez/

Team SBK Ducati Alstare concludes three-day test session at Jerez

News about late season testing before the 2013 World Superbike season gets underway in about a month.  Team Ducati Alstare tested at the Jerez circuit in Spain with it's riders, Carlos Checa, and Ayrton Badovini.  Here's the story from the official World Superbike website.

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/5-sbk-news/15972-team-sbk-ducati-alstare-concludes-three-day-test-session-at-jerez.html

WSBK: Pata Honda Launches New-Look Effort

Here is the story about Pata Honda and the launch of their 2013 campaign in World Superbike.  Riders Johnny Rea and Leon Haslam should do well this season.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/wsbk-pata-honda-launches-new-look-effort/

Valentino Rossi gets reacquainted with his Yamaha

After a few years riding a Ducati in MotoGP, Valentino Rossi is now riding a Yamaha again.  Here, he reacquaints himself with the bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXSAkrhs-Z8&feature=share&list=UU8pYaQzbBBXg9GIOHRvTmDQ

covering a MotoGP race

Fans, check this out.  A link to a short video of how MotoGP World Championship races are covered on television.  Pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWfH38gVbjY&feature=share&list=UU8pYaQzbBBXg9GIOHRvTmDQ

WSBK: KRT Goes Back To Work

Kawasaki's World Superbike team with Tom Sykes and Loris Baz, respectively, start testing this week at the Almeria circuit in Tabernas, Almeria, Spain.  Here are the details.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/wsbk-krt-goes-back-to-work/

Bridgestone's Hiroshi Yamada discusses upcoming 2013 MotoGP season

The first 2013 MotoGP test session is coming soon.  Here is an article about the preparation for it.  It's an interview with Hiroshi Yamada, the motorsports department manager for Bridgestone tires, explaining the preparation for the test, on the MotoGP website. 

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2013/Bridgestones%20Hiroshi%20Yamada%20discusses%20upcoming%202013%20MotoGP%20season

MOTOGP: Yamaha Announces Monster Deal

Monster Energy drink will be a primary sponsor this season on the factory Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes to be piloted in MotoGP by Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.  More info can be found, here.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-yamaha-factory-racing-announces-monster-deal/

AMA DSB: Geico Team Switches To Honda

More news about the Geico Team in AMA Daytona Sportbike competition.  Their new rider for this season will be Dane Westby, and they switche brand alliances from Suzuki, to Honda.  The alliance will be between Chris Ullrich Racing and Team Hammer.  Here's the whole scoop.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-dsb-geico-team-switches-to-honda/

AMA SBK: Team Hammer Releases Cardenas From Contract Option

Martin Cardenas will not race in AMA Daytona Sportbike this season, but rather, he will move back into a ride in the Superbike division where he ran successfully for a season in 2011.  Cardenas started his career in FIM international racing, running in the old 250cc class in Europe.  Here's the full story from SPEED.

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-team-hammer-releases-cardenas-from-contract-option

2013 World Superbike race schedule (slight changes)

Some minor adjustments were and still are having to be made to the 2013 FIM World Superbike, World Supersport, and Superstock 1000 calendar.  It was announced here some time ago, but, go to the FIM link for refreshed information.

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/5-sbk-news/15888-2013-fim-superbike-world-championship-provisional-calendar-update.html

MotoGP, Moto 2, and Moto 3 riders for 2013

Go to www.motogp.com, and then, click on riders & teams, followed by choosing MotoGP, Moto 2, and Moto 3, to find out the riders and teams in each division for the upcoming 2013 season that will not start until April.  There's a lot of time yet.  I know I'm getting excited for regular motorcycle races to start again.

http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/MotoGP